Game update: 22/02/18

Last week there was love in the air, and this week there is magic in the air...

Introduction to magical themed goals

The clipboard is back, with a magical theme as we turn our backs on winter. Let's dive straight in with a traditional list of fresh content:

Tables:

• Mushroom Table - 18,000 coins

Chairs:

• Mushroom Chair - 16,000 coins

Floor decorations:

• Rearing Unicorn - 25,000 coins
• Faerie Helpers - locked by goal
• Wishing Well - locked by goal
• Enchanted Forest - locked by goal

Wallpapers:

• Mysterious Forest - 6,000 coins

Floor tiles:

• Thaumaturgic Tile - 5,200 coins

Appliances:

• Enchanted Stove - locked by goal
• Faerie Fountain - locked by goal

Counters:

• Mystical Counter - 17,000 coins

So we have 11 additions to the game, including two appliances which each house three recipes. Those two cookers and three of the floor decorations can only be accessed by making your way through the goals, more details of which can be found here.

I always find this to be a fun time of the Restaurant Story year - we've just completed the seasonal stretch and now the game's developers can throw off the shackles and do as they please with regard to themes. And they've done just that here with a seemingly random theme focusing on magic in nature. It's a subject with plenty of scope, and I think Storm8 have done a pretty good job of it.

Take the Mysterious Forest wallpaper for example. It shows tall trees and ferns, all with a clever green filter applied. This monochromatic effect has a significant impact since it really adds a sense of foreboding which allows the wallpaper to live up to its name. And yet it still carries some flexibility - I can see this being a popular choice for outdoor scenes in the coming months.

The Thaumaturgic Tile could hardly be more different with its bold design. I hope I wasn't alone in having to look up the meaning of 'thaumaturgic'! I discovered that it means a miracle and it will certainly be a miracle if I ever spell it correctly at the first attempt! The tile itself doesn't appear to follow any particular pattern, with seemingly random squiggles of light blue on a purple base. I'm sure it will come in handy for someone someday, but right now I'm struggling to think of where it could be used.

Meanwhile there's no doubting where you'd use the Mushroom Table and Mushroom Chair. Both bright blue, these furniture items will do a great job sprucing up your spring scene. They'll also go perfectly with the red Toadstool pair. Admittedly the existing table and chair are for gems so only a smattering of players will already have them, but at least we have a variation now available for purchase that has a coin price tag.

The Mystical Counter takes a different approach, with the wonders of nature replaced by an enticing and maybe mysterious unknown. Concentric circles of alternating tints of blue are the order of the day on the counter surface, with curly legs making this look more like a table. The only concern here is that when the customers are served their meal may just be sucked into an alternative universe!

The last of the new stuff which can be bought from the off is the Rearing Unicorn, a 2x2 sized floor decoration. I felt straightaway that this was an item we'd seen before in some capacity, but the only unicorn I can track down in the game is the Ice Unicorn from January 2017, and that took a slightly different form. It's out first unfrozen unicorn! She's mounted on a rounded pedestal which is a little frustrating since it rather limits what you can do with her, but nevertheless it's a safe inclusion for a magical and mythical theme.

That's everything which can be purchased from the outset covered then. It's certainly an intriguing update and goes into the 'so far so good' category. I'm in no doubt that the recipes will let us down statistically, but hopefully the prizes up for grabs can overcome that and make this a winning update!